Chemiluminescent illumination devices are non-incandescent products which produce light from a chemical mixture. The basic chemiluminescent process produces light when two chemical solutions are combined. The solutions may be combined and frozen to prevent activation or can be kept physically separated prior to activation. Physical separation typically consists of a sealed frangible glass vial containing a first solution that is placed within a second solution, both of which are housed in a sealed flexible vessel. When the vessel is flexed, the glass vial is ruptured thereby releasing the vial solution which admixes wherein the reaction produces light.
The chemical solutions are generally referred to as the “oxalate” component and the “activator” component. A typical oxalate component consists of Dibutyl Phthalate, CPPO and CBPEA. A typical activator solution contains Dimethyl Phthalate, T-butyl alcohol, 90% aq. Hydrogen Peroxide and Sodium Salicylate. As previously mentioned, the components may be frozen to retard the progress of the reaction. Alternatively, the components may be separated by a vial, pellet, separating wall, and so forth. Despite the type of separation, the object of these devices is to produce usable light. For this reason, the outer vessel is made of a light-filtering plastic material which permits the light produced by the reaction to pass through the vessel walls.
Numerous patents exist that disclose improvements in the oxalate and activators, such patents extending the illumination properties of chemiluminescent devices. The unique lighting effects generated from chemiluminescent lighting devices are enhanced by the inherent optical properties of the containing vessel. The color, clarity and degree of effervescence, if any, serve to add to dissipation of light throughout the vessel wall. Some dyes or coloring agents can be used not only as color filters but as fluorescers. A fluorescent dye functions by converting light of one wavelength to another wavelength. For example, blue light from a chemiluminescent device might be converted to red light by employing an appropriate fluorescer. This red light could be produced even if there was little or no red light emitted by the chemiluminescent device. When used with novelty items, most of these improvements strive to create attractive illumination about the area around the vessel and within the vessel itself.
The use of a dye and/or fluoresecer in the vessel casing is also well known, being first disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,584,211 which sets forth a vessel casing for use with chemiluminescent light wherein the visible color of the light emission can be varied by using colored plastic.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,576,987 disclosed a multi-colored plastic casing for housing chemiluminescent reactants. The color of light emission depended upon the type of fluorescent compound used in the plastic casing and its spectral response. However, the visible color could also be varied by simply using a colored plastic.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,320 discloses a chemical light device having a chemiluminescent solution with a first fluorescer contained in a transparent or tranlucent vessel with a second fluorescer incorporated in the walls of the vessel to shift at least a part of the shorter wavelength emission of the first fluorescer to a longer wavelength emission of the second fluorescer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,366 discloses a multi-colored chemiluminescent fishing lure formed from a connector body having a plurality of color tubes in a predetermined angular relationship.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,860,614 to Pinciaro discloses a chemiluminescent jewelry item with a sleeve, in the form of a helix, for attaching the chemiluminescent tube to the support plate.
Assignee Omniglow has sold wrapped chemiluminescent tubes consisting of a transparent plastic chemiluminescent lighting device with a plastic wrap secured thereto, the plastic wrap having various designs printed thereon including multi-color designs of cakes, presents, confetti, and “Happy Birthday”. Omniglow has also sold chemiluminescent lighting devices formed from a clear plastic vessel casing with colored plastic end caps. In addition, chemiluminescent lighting devices have been sold wherein half of the chemiluminescent lighting device is painted red with a sliding “over tube” to block out the painted portion and/or the non-painted portion.
While the chemiluminescent lighting devices have many advantages, the separation of the chemical components before use and the need to utilize a type of material that is chemically resistant to the components, limit the type of vessel materials to polyethylene, polypropylene and the like plastic, all of which do not inherently have tactile properties. Further, these materials are usually extruded in a tubular shape producing a monotonous surface area.
What is needed in the art is a separate sleeve surrounding the light source which improves the tactile property of the lighting device and is capable of incorporating fluorescing material and/or materials emitting different colors and can be interchanged with other sleeves.